Hands Down
by Malkaviankitten7
Summary: When the Avengers are sent in to stop the Skrull from ripping a hole in the universe, they are shocked to find their job done for them and in the center of the destruction a very familiar red and gold suit.
1. Chapter 1

So, I got back into fanfiction recently when a little head cannon went off over the Science Bros. It was keeping me from working on my novel so I figured I'd put it on paper and be able to return to my book. Well, I did get back to my book, but that little head cannon turned into a long fic and ideas for four other fics. So, I'm writing on several things at the moment (seriously, there are 7 docs open right now) and I'm writing a lot. Most of what's being written won't make its way up here as it's original work, but the fic should eventually all make its way up here.

As for this one in particular, this was prompted by Natasha Stark (3490) who Mister Fantastic discovered in another universe. I thought it would be fun exploring Tony as a female character and since we've got alternate universes, I could pick one where she wasn't with Captain America (blehck!) and run with it.

Not sure how long this one will be, but here's a chapter anyway.

M for Stark's mouth (both of them) and for future chapters (because I like the option of sexy times.) Needless to say, I don't own Tony, Bruce, Steve, Thor, Tasha, Clint or any of the rest of these wonderful characters. If I did, I would be fabulously wealthy and Tony and Bruce would be completely cannon.

For Science!

* * *

A call from Fury was never a good way to wake up but Tony preferred that to Captain Spangles waking him with a mission. Although Rogers knew how to command the team on the field, Stark was clearly calling the shots outside of battle. He liked being a leader in that way, but he could do without the phone calls at three in the morning. Didn't super-villains sleep?

"Yeah, yeah, Fury. Got it," he mumbled, hanging up the phone. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Tony called up his AI, "Jarvis, put in calls to Rogers, Thor, Romanov and Barton."

"Yes Sir," the disembodied, British voice answered. "And Doctor Banner, Sir?"

"Leave Bruce to me. You know how much he hates being woken in the middle of the night."

"Of course Sir."

As he changed out of his pajamas, he muttered under his breath and he called on his armor. He was still getting used to the Bleeding Edge, but as he caught sight of himself in the mirror, he was reminded just how much sleeker it was than his last suit. He left his face uncovered and went to wake Bruce.

Bruce hadn't been asleep for long when Tony's voice pulled him out of a nightmare. He woke with a start, gasping for breath and struggling to get his eyes to focus. The glow of the arc reactor was the first thing he was able to focus on. He processed this and calmed down. It never ceased to amaze Bruce the effect Tony had on him, more importantly on the Other Guy.

"Tony?" he asked, his voice still somewhat groggy. He got a good look and realized Tony was suited up. "What's wrong?"

"Sorry to wake you, but Fury called." Tony sat next to Bruce on the bed. "I'd have just let you sleep, but he seems to think it's a big deal. Is the Big Guy up for some late night partying?"

Bruce smirked. He normally would have been hesitant to get involved; even after all this, he still didn't quite trust himself not to hurt the team or worse, innocent civilians. However, it had been a while and the "Other Guy" was getting restless. This was just the sort of thing Banner needed to take off the edge that had been interfering with his work the past few weeks.

With a wry grin, he answered, "As long as you have him home by curfew, young man. The last time you two were out way too late."

Tony laughed. "Sure thing."

When Iron Man and the Hulk arrived on scene, the rest of the team was already heavy into the fight. Roger's terse voice scolded over the mic, "You're late Stark."

"Fashionably," Tony answered. "Besides, I brought everyone's favorite party animal."

"Let's just get this over with." No sense of humor on that one, not that Tony had expected any different, but Rogers was exceptionally grumpy so late at night.

"Don't get your spangly panties in a bunch, Cap. Have we figured a way into the Skrull lab?" he asked, narrowly dodging an attack.

"Thor is working on breaking through, but he could use a hand."

"On it!" Iron Man answered. They had encountered this type of shielding before. If they could find the source, Tony could hack their system, but the Skrull were getting better about their security. If Fury was to be believed, they didn't have time to search either. The only other way through these shields was brute force. Scanning the area, he found the Hulk and called out, "Hey, Big Guy, can you give Thor a hand over there? We need that wall smashed."

The Hulk perked up and in only a few moments, he was beside Thor, smashing the side of a building. Each hit of Mjölnir and the Hulk's fists sent ripples through the force field surrounding the Skrull lab until finally, they broke through.

"Thanks, guys." Iron Man flew in through the now gaping hole in the wall, calling up his scanners. The amount of unknowns showing up with each scan frustrated Stark. He hated working without all the variables and the extent of what he got from Fury was the Skrull might rip a hole in the universe.

As the others continued fighting the Skrull surrounding the building, Captain America caught up with Iron Man inside the lab. The pair moved through the halls quickly, without a word, Iron Man leading by a few feet. Just as they reached the center of the building, a huge pulse rippled past them, shaking the ground, the building, everything, followed by a nearly deafening explosion.

"Stark, what the hell was that?" Captain demanded.

As his screen lit up with a mess of numbers, Tony's voice turned dark, "According to these readings, it was one of my old suits' pulse bombs." They'd only just managed to get his tech out of Hydra's hands and now the Skrull had their hands on one of his suits? He blasted the door down and charged in to find the charred room littered with bodies and pieces of bodies. Even the Captain gave pause at the carnage. Not one of the Skrull were moving, but, in the center of the room, the familiar red and gold of an Iron Man suit was crouched down, scanning the room.

The suit stood to reveal a much slimmer design than anything Stark would have made, or fit into for that matter, but that didn't stop Iron Man. He raised his hand, the energy blade forming with a thought and threatened, "I don't know who the hell you think you are, but that's my tech and I'm taking it back, NOW!"

Without waiting for a response, he charged and the other suit took off through the ceiling. He chased after the suit only to be completely blind-sided as soon as he hit the air. The other suit crashed into Iron Man, pinning him down to the ground.

"Nice knock off, kid," a very female voice came from the suit. "But playtime's over." She raised a glove to his face, charging the repulsor. Just before the repulsor went off in Iron Man's face, she was knocked from atop him by Mjölnir.

"Stark, are you alright?" Thor asked, offering Stark a hand.

He took Thor's hand and stood, turning toward the woman, stuck underneath the hammer.

"Thor? What are you doing?" she demanded. "Get this thing off of me or so help me-"

"Shut up, fangirl!" Iron Man shouted. "Jarvis, analyze."

"It would appear her armor was of your creation, Sir, right down to the software configuration."

"Oh good," Stark replied. "Own it."

The suit shook and fought for a moment before shutting down. Iron Man motioned for Thor to take back Mjölnir and then picked up the suit. He nodded at Thor. "I'll see you back at headquarters." Then, over the mic, he added, "Good work team."

Back at Stark Tower, Tony had left the suit in one of the rooms specifically designed for keeping the occasional super-villain, while they waited to be transferred. He recalled his own armor with a thought and reviewed the data from the fight as well as the new scans Jarvis was performing. He told the AI to forward all his results to Banner before checking up on the imposter.

"Time to see who's cocky enough to pretend to be me."

Tony stood behind a two-way mirror, watching as mechanical arms removed her helmet. The woman in that suit could have easily been his sister, that is, if he had a sister. Come to think of it, she could pass for Maria Stark, had she not been long since dead and buried.

As the armor came off, however, what came out of her mouth was nothing like his mother. "I swear, I don't know how the hell you turned Thor against me or how you took control of my suit but when I get out of here, I will shove Mjölnir so far up your ass, Thor won't be able to call it back!"

"Jarvis, do a search for her face and see if you can find a match." Tony was staying as calm as he could. She was disarmed and so not an immediate threat, but he certainly didn't create the suit she was wearing. If she had such a perfect copy, who knew what other Stark tech she had her hands on.

Speaking through the com, he addressed her,"Hey there sweet heart. That's a pretty remarkable knock off, but maybe you should have used your own framework. Someone smart enough to copy my designs would have known better than to leave their security open for me to waltz right in. So, that means you're obviously not smart enough to copy my designs. Who made the suit for you?"

She scoffed, her face scrunching in disgust. "Your designs? Really? I'm Toni Stark and the Iron Man is my creation, you fuckwit."

"Sir," Jarvis interrupted. "I've found no matches within any public or private records."

"You just wait til my team gets here," she threatened, banging her hands against the glass. "You'll wish you never laid a finger on this sweet ass!"

Tony turned off the com, pacing as he waited on the rest of the team to return. "This doesn't make any sense." he muttered.

Bruce was the first to return. "Actually, I think it just might."

"Doc, you got an explanation for this psycho flying around in tech that is clearly Stark though I never made it?"

"Well," Banner began, running his fingers through his hair. Tony never would understand how someone so absolutely brilliant could be so nervous about sharing his theories. "I was looking over the data you got from her and found an anomaly."

Bruce handed a tablet to Tony, pointing to the anomalous data. "You see that reading there? I've only seen that level change twice. The first time was during one of our run ins with Kang and the second was in reports that Reed shared with me the last time his team visited. The reports covered his studies of parallel universes."

"So, what? She's either a time traveler or from an another dimension?" Barton asked, startling Tony. He hated how Barton could sneak into a room without anyone noticing. "Sounds like _Twilight Zone_."

"Well, maybe. Her readings aren't identical either, but that could be that she's just from a different time or universe than we've observed," Bruce continued. "Based on what she's shouting in there, I think it's probably the latter. Some of the worlds Reed found had little variances."

"Little variances?" Tony asked, not liking the sound of that. If they were so little, they'd hardly merit being mentioned.

Bruce looked away and scratched the back of his head. "Sometimes it's a change of events like, a battle lost or an accident avoided. He found one where I never had my _accident_." The expression to cross Bruce's face as he said that was something Tony would want to explore, but later. "In others, the variance can be as simple as conception of twins instead of one or a different _gender_ child." Bruce made eye contact on that word.

"Huh." Tony turned back to the window, glad she couldn't see or hear them and tried to process this. "I make one sexy woman. Not that I'm surprised by that, just pointing it out."

"Please tell me we're not going to have see you in drag again." Natasha sighed as she joined the team, stepping in next to Clint. "Wasn't the New Year's party enough?"

Barton leaned in and informed his partner while Tony led Bruce to the room.

"I'm going to need a hand with this one."

The door whooshed open and Tony walked in. "Alright, Miss Stark- never thought I'd say that- I think we got off on the wrong foot. I'll let the doctor here explain."

He moved aside to allow Bruce to enter the room and Bruce awkwardly stepped ahead. Hand in his hair, he began to explain, "You see-"

He was cut off but a sudden thud to the chest as Toni wrapped her arms around his neck. "Bruce baby, my god, I can't believe I found you." She pressed her lips against Banner's while Tony watched on in stunned silence.

Bruce, equally stunned, stiffened and his watch beeped a warning.

Toni pulled away, concern darkening her eyes. "Baby, what's wrong? What did they do to you?"


	2. Chapter 2

I was a little surprised at how much response the first chapter of this got. I don't think this was as good as the other fic I've posted, but then, maybe you all just really want Tony as a woman. Either way, the reviews are a good way to encourage me in continuing. I'm working on the other as well, but all the positive feedback meant this chapter got finished and uploaded tonight.

So, I expect this will follow a similar format from now on. The overlapping perspective is something I came to love in reading Khaos Komix (it's all online and awesome, you should look it up!) Though I would never have the patience to employ this device over such a long piece unless I were to release it all at once. It's just too much fun getting into everyone's heads.

Next chapter, we'll get into Toni's head, so you all have that to look forward to! Also, to look forward to, two one-shot song fics that will likely be beautiful, filthy smut.

Needless to say, I don't own Marvel or Tony or Bruce or any of these wonderful people. I wish I did, because Disney paid a metric fuckton for them! M for Stark mouth, both of them, and for future sexy fun times.

Anyways, For Science!

* * *

"You might be needing this, Doc," Clint called out and tossed him a shirt and a pair of sandals.

Bruce was, one again, silently grateful for the unstable molecule pants Reed had made for him; this process was far less embarrassing now that he no longer awoke both disoriented and nude. He pulled on the shirt and slid his feet into the sandals. "Thanks."

"No problem," Clint continued. "We should head back though. Apparently Stark found something in the lab and he wants your brain in on analyzing it."

Clint had a way of separating Bruce from both the Other Guy and his scientific endeavors. He wasn't really sure what that left over, but it was enough to build their friendship on. "Oh? Any idea what?"

Barton shrugged. "Science stuff."

He hadn't really expected a detailed answer. It seemed as though, more and more, Barton had come to resent Banner and Stark's lab talk which spilled out into their group time more often than not. The way he and Tony got into it sometimes, Bruce almost thought it was out of jealousy, but he seemed happy enough with Natasha.

The walk back home always took longer, but finally Bruce arrived back to find his computer flashing with document after document full of every sort of scan imaginable. Without taking his eyes off the screen, he slipped out of the sandals and into more comfortable shoes, trading the t-shirt for one of his own button ups. Fingers moved deftly over the screen, dismissing half of the data that pertained only to the suit. He pulled up the video feed, allowing it to play in the background while he compared these files with some of his own. He searched for something specific on a hunch.

"I don't know how you turned Thor against me," the woman shouted, getting his attention. Bruce minimized the data files and zoomed in on her face. He couldn't help but stare; the resemblance was just too striking and wow, she was beautiful. Was she as brilliant as Tony? "I'm Toni Stark!" He forced himself to close the video feed.

"Huh." Pulling back up the files, Bruce found what he was looking for. "Jarvis, could you transfer these files to my tablet please," he asked the AI, pointing to two in particular.

"Right away, Doctor Banner."

As the files appeared on the screen of his tablet, Bruce marked a few notes with his stylus and left the lab. A quick elevator ride, and he was within earshot of Tony.

"This doesn't make any sense."

Bruce wasn't looking forward to explaining this, but he figured it was best to get it over with. She wasn't lying after all and if she was anything like him, she'd want to help or at least not fight them while they tried to get her back home.

"Actually, I think it just might."

A nearly tangible wave of relief washed over Tony. "Doc, you got an explanation for this psycho flying around in tech that is clearly Stark though I never made it?"

"Well," he began, nervously running his fingers through his hair, trying to ignore the train of thought that had started earlier. "I was looking over the data you got from her and found an anomaly."

Handing his tablet to Tony, he pointed to the data he'd circled on the way down. "You see that reading there? I've only seen that level change twice. The first time was during one of our run ins with Kang and the second was in reports that Reed shared with me the last time his team visited. The reports covered his studies of parallel universes."

"So, what? She's either a time traveler or from an another dimension?" For a brief moment, Tony was startled by Barton's sudden question but he covered it up quickly. Banner would bet Clint had noticed though. "Sounds like _Twilight Zone_."

"Well, maybe. Her readings aren't identical either, but that could be that she's just from a different time or universe than we've observed," he continued. "Based on what she's shouting in there, I think it's probably the latter. Some of the worlds Reed found had little variances."

"Little variances?" Tony asked.

He looked away and scratched the back of his head. That was an uncomfortable thought as well, but the preferable alternative for certain. "Sometimes it's a change of events like, a battle lost or an accident avoided. He found one where I never had my _accident_." There was no point in longing over that one, but he couldn't help himself. "In others, the variance can be as simple as conception of twins instead of one or a different _gender_ child." Making eye contact and emphasizing the word, Bruce did his best to imply what he'd realized.

"Huh." Tony turned back to the window. It only took him a moment to come back with a witty retort. "I make one sexy woman. Not that I'm surprised by that, just pointing it out."

"Please tell me we're not going to have see you in drag again." Natasha sighed as she joined the team, stepping in next to Clint. "Wasn't the New Year's party enough?"

Barton leaned in and informed his partner while Tony took Bruce's arm, leading him to the door.

"I'm going to need a hand with this one." Amusement danced through Tony's voice. He took that better and faster than Bruce thought he would.

The door whooshed open and Tony walked in. "Alright, Miss Stark- never thought I'd say that- I think we got off on the wrong foot. I'll let the doctor here explain."

As Tony moved aside, Bruce took a trepidatious step forward. Hand in his hair, he began to explain, "You see-"

Before he could get out another word, the impact of a body both warm and solid, centered with a cold blue reactor pressed against him. Toni wrapped her arms around his neck and seemingly forgot all about Tony. "Bruce baby, my god, I can't believe I found you." Toni pressed her lips, firm and sweet against his; her tongue invading his mouth tasted of coconut and metal.

For an instant, he just let her kiss him, but the moment ended as Bruce remembered himself. He stiffened and his watch beeped a warning.

Toni pulled away, concern darkening her eyes. "Baby, what's wrong? What did they do to you?"

He froze, completely panicked for a response.

Tony beat him to it. Of course. "Yeah,_ baby_, what's wrong?" Stark teased. "I mean, I'm not surprised that all it took was a pair of tits for you to jump my bones, so please, continue. The show was just getting interesting."

He turned bright red at the accusation and still struggled for a comeback, but Toni was not so dumbstruck. Her eyes narrowed, dark and deadly, and, in a single, fluid movement, she had Bruce behind her and was a breath away from decking Tony.

"I will wipe that smug ass grin off your face and make you eat it if you ever, _ever_ so much as look at him the wrong way again, fuckwit," she threatened.

Tony's grin only grew smugger as he responded, "I called dibs on the Doc and the enormous green rage monster, sweetheart. He's mine."

She pulled back to punch Tony, but Bruce regained his composure with just enough time to stop her. Grabbing her arm tight, he pleaded, "Miss Stark, please, let me explain." He turned to Tony for a moment, "Tony, could you _please_ behave, for just a moment?"

Half a laugh escaped as he replied, "Since you asked so nicely, _babe_."

Bruce shot him a look and then pulled Toni around to face him. "I'm sorry. Tony's an ass sometimes. He's not your enemy though."

A quick and angry reply seemed to rise just to the tip of her tongue, but when Bruce locked eyes with Toni, she calmed down. That wasn't an effect he expected to have on a Stark, but he appreciated it all the same.

"Now, first, I must apologize, but I'm not who you think I am. I am Doctor Bruce Banner, but not the one you know."

Confusion bled the remaining anger from her expression.

"A colleague of ours, Reed Richards has spent the last few years studying parallel universes, alternate realities that exist alongside each other, each with their own history and variances." He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "And it seems there was some sort of accident, involving the Skrull. They seem to have opened a rift between two different universes and pulled you out of yours and into ours."

It didn't take long at all for her to process this information. Yeah, she was definitely Tony's counterpart. She turned back to Tony who had his arms crossed, quite amused. Shrugging, she replied, "Well, at least I make a sexy man. Not that I'm surprised. Just saying."

Bruce let out a heavy sigh. Yeah, she was Stark alright.


	3. Chapter 3

So, here I go again. This one cut a little shorter than I had wanted, but only because Bruce's voice took over after this point. I find he's one of the easiest characters to write. I'm very comfortable in his head (even if he isn't comfortable there.) I've got the next chapter almost finished already, so it should go up tonight as well.

Note: The comment Toni makes about Rogers accusing Stark of not training enough in hand-to-hand combat is a nod to this scene from the Avengers Earths Mightiest Heroes show. (Apparently, I can't include links here, but if you go to youtube and search "Avengers EMH clip: Steve beats Tony" you can watch it.)

And just so it's out there, I do take a bit from this show, in addition to the comics and of course, the movies. While most of my characterization is based on the films (and I'm definitely picturing RDJ when I've got Tony in mind!) there is tons of good in the comics and even the animated series to incorporate into a good fic. the Marvel wikia has been a huge help too since I'm not nearly rich enough to have all the comics that these guys have shown up in.

Warnings for Stark mouth.

Goes without saying, I don't own these guys (sure wish I did!)

For Science!

* * *

Toni fumed and banged against the glass but it was no use. Whoever had shown up in that Skrull lab and took control of her suit was clearly in control. That didn't mean she would give up, not for a second. On the one hand, she hoped her team would show up. On the other hand, she would never hear the end of it from Spangles if she had to be rescued. That would clearly serve as proof that Rogers had been right and Toni hadn't spent nearly enough time training in hand to hand combat, that without her suit, she was shit out of luck.

If only she hadn't lost contact with Jarvis just when she almost had the Skrull weapon under her control. She searched the room for anything that she could use, but found it more than secure. If she didn't know better, she would have thought this to be one of the containment cells she built back at Stark Towers.

Toni was caught off guard when the door whooshed open and her captor walked in. "Alright, Miss Stark- never thought I'd say that- I think we got off on the wrong foot. I'll let the doctor here explain."

She moved to strike but as he stepped aside to reveal Bruce, she forgot herself for the moment. Hand in his hair, he began to explain, "You see-"

Any other day, she might have questioned _why_ he was there, but all that mattered right then was that Bruce was _here_. Toni wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close and tight. Taking a deep breath, she drank the smell of him. "Bruce baby, my god, I can't believe I found you." She pressed her lips to his, eagerly exploring his mouth. How she'd missed that slightly bitter, green taste of the tea he was always drinking, though it always reminded her of her days drinking chlorophyl to counteract the palladium poisoning.

Something wasn't right though. Bruce stiffened in her embrace and his watch beeped a warning.

She pulled away, concern darkening her eyes that scanned over her lover. He was scared, terrified even. After all the time they'd spent getting him to the point of comfort that he didn't fear the change, had these people really undone all that so quickly? "Baby, what's wrong? What did they do to you?"

Bruce didn't respond but her captor did. "Yeah,_ baby_, what's wrong? I mean, I'm not surprised that all it took was a pair of tits for you to jump my bones, so please, continue. The show was just getting interesting." His cocky tone infuriated her almost as much as his calling Bruce "baby."

Bruce turned bright red and still kept silent. Whoever this man was, he'd managed to get under Bruce's skin. She narrowed her eyes at him, dark and deadly, and, in a single, fluid movement, she had moved between him and the doctor, ready for a fight.

"I will wipe that smug ass grin off your face and make you eat it if you ever, _ever_ so much as look at him the wrong way again, fuckwit," Toni threatened.

Her captor's grin only grew smugger as he responded, "I called dibs on the Doc and the enormous green rage monster, sweetheart. He's mine."

She pulled back to punch Tony, but Bruce regained his composure with just enough time to stop her. Grabbing her arm tight, he pleaded, "Miss Stark, please, let me explain." He turned to Tony for a moment, "Tony, could you _please_ behave, for just a minute?"

Half a laugh escaped as he replied, "Since you asked so nicely, _babe_."

Bruce shot him a look and then pulled Toni around to face him. "I'm sorry. Tony's an ass sometimes. He's not your enemy though."

A quick and angry reply was on the tip of her tongue, but when Bruce locked eyes with her, she shoved it aside. He wasn't afraid, just uncomfortable and that was enough to reassure her for the moment.

"Now, first, I must apologize, but I'm not who you think I am. I am Doctor Bruce Banner, but not the one you know."

His words both cut at her and confused her. Not her Bruce?

"A colleague of ours, Reed Richards has spent the last few years studying parallel universes, alternate realities that exist alongside each other, each with their own history and variances." He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "And it seems there was some sort of accident, involving the Skrull. They seem to have opened a rift between two different universes and pulled you out of yours and into ours."

This made sense. It even sounded pretty similar to her last conversation with Mister Fantastic, though she'd been far more interested in the time travel aspect of his research. She turned back to Tony who had his arms crossed, seeming quite amused with himself. Yeah, if the roles were reversed, she could see herself behaving the same. Toni shrugged and replied, "Well, at least I make a sexy man. Not that I'm surprised. Just saying."

Bruce let out a heavy sigh. Toni turned and eyed him with an odd mix of emotions. "You sure you're not_ my_ Bruce?"

Tony stepped in before the doctor had the chance to speak, putting his arm around Bruce with a sly grin. "Like I said, I called dibs on this one."

Bruce was clearly uncomfortable with Stark's claiming of him but Tony seemed oblivious. It took Toni all of five seconds to size them up. "Like a time bomb," she muttered.

This raised eyebrows, but she ignored that and asked, "So, if you're me, you've probably already got two or three ideas on how to send me back home, am I right?"

Tony smirked. "I'll need Bruce's input before I'm ready to test them, but the theories are there."

"And my suit, have you already gathered my data from it?"

"Jarvis is working on that as we speak."

"And dinner?"

"I have to feed you too?" Tony asked with a laugh. "Next, I guess you'll be wanting a room to sleep in til we get you out of here? Guess it's a good thing one of us is a billionaire in _this_ universe." He turned to Bruce, letting his arm slide off Banner's shoulders. "You think you can manage to show her the guest rooms, while I go find us food?"

Bruce nodded. "I think we still have a pizza left from last night." He turned to Toni and offered a smile. "If you'll follow this way."

She followed Bruce through the tower which was similar enough to her own. The whole way, she answered all of the questions that Bruce's scientific curiosity wouldn't allow to wait. He showed her a guest room that she shrugged at. It certainly wasn't _her_ room but it was as nice as any of the guest rooms back home. Then Bruce led her to an open common space with a dining room and living room. They sat down and continued their conversation.

"Tony should be back soon with food. I know I've been asking questions pretty much nonstop, so feel free to stop me at any point, but I've been fascinated with the idea of parallel universes since Reed shared his research with me."

"It's fine, Bruce. I love seeing you like this," she responded before realizing how awkward that must have sounded.

Bruce replied a little too quickly, "What was he, the other me like?"


	4. Chapter 4

As promised, the next chapter! I actually wrote most of this before finishing the last one. I was headed to the in-laws for the weekend and we got stuck in 3 hours of traffic, so while my husband drove, I wrote this and a little something else.

So, I've been reading up more and more on Steve and Tony in the comics. I combined some of that with the partnership between Erik and Charles in the most recent X-men movie when coming up with how Stephanie Rogers and Toni Stark would work together. I'd like to think that with the two of them being the public face of the Avengers, both being gorgeous women and with the campaigning that Steve did in the movie, that the pair of them would seek out other heroes to join in a similar fashion. At least, I think it'd be a good possibility and so I ran with it.

I might explore the two of them a bit more in a different fic. I'm not completely sold on the Stony fandom, because I just can't picture Steve as ever being gay or even bi, but I am finding at least strong support for partners and very close friends. Who knows, if I keep following down that road, at least comicverse, I might be sold on another Ship. Don't worry though. Stanner is my on true ship!

Warning: Feels ahead!

For Science!

* * *

"You think you can manage to show her the guest rooms, while I go find us food?" Tony asked as he left Bruce and Toni alone.

Bruce nodded, not sure if he should be grateful to not have to deal with more of Tony's teasing or worried that he was alone with Toni. "I think we still have a pizza left from last night." He turned to Toni and offered a smile. "If you'll follow this way."

Bruce led her through the tower though it seemed she was familiar enough with the layout. The whole way, she answered all of the questions that Bruce could come up with to avoid the one he really wanted to ask. He was still reeling from the kiss shared earlier and all the questions that brought to mind about Tony's joking flirtations and growing presence in his life. Not wanting to focus anymore thought on that, he asked instead about her.

"So, I heard you refer to your suit as an Iron Man suit. I would have guessed Iron Maiden." he joked.

"Pshaw." Toni rolled her eyes. "Even if I had the choice, I wouldn't have gone with that, but my first suit wasn't nearly so feminine. I had to build it from scraps while concealing it from the Ten Rings bastards who held me prisoner. It wasn't until I went public with my identity that I started incorporating a more female look into the suit. It was pretty convenient when everyone assumed that a man was operating the suit. I was able to pass Iron Man off as my body guard for a couple years."

"A couple years?" Bruce could hardly believe that. Tony couldn't keep his mouth shut through the first press conference.

Toni shrugged. "It wasn't easy, trust me. When they were touting me as a super hero, I wanted to just out myself, but it was useful to have the secret. Besides, the reactions I got when I was finally outed were worth it. Poor Pepper had been crushing something hard on Iron Man," she added with a laugh that Bruce was growing very fond of.

"And your team?" he asked. "You have the Avengers there too?"

"The Avengers are pretty much my life," she answered. "I mean, there was a point when I was so focused on the Avengers that Stark Industries almost failed, but with your help, I was able to get things back on track. Well, not you, but my version of you. Now, I try my best to put in enough time to keep the business running, but it's still all about the Avengers for me. I converted the whole of Stark Tower to our head quarters with personalized training rooms for each of the team and private space for everyone when they're staying. Spangles and I even go out sometimes to recruit new members."

Bruce laughed. "Tony calls him that too."

Toni raised a brow and stopped dead in her tracks. For a moment, Bruce was concerned that he had upset her until she cracked up laughing.

"Oh, that's rich! Prudish, stick in the mud, Captain America is a man! I can't wait to rub that in Stephie's face!" She was practically rolling, a look Bruce found quite endearing.

He managed to get in a few more questions about her current team and was surprised to find out about a few members that his team didn't have. She barely reacted at all when Bruce showed her the guest room. From what he'd seen of Tony's room, he guessed that Toni was used to bigger, better and more personal. Then Bruce led her to an open common space with a dining room and living room. They sat down and continued their conversation.

"Tony should be back soon with food. I know I've been asking questions pretty much nonstop, so feel free to stop me at any point, but I've been fascinated with the idea of parallel universes since Reed shared his research with me."

"It's fine, Bruce. I love seeing you like this."

The familiarity pushed Bruce to respond a little too quickly with the question he'd been hoping to avoid, "What is he, the other me like?"

Toni sobered, her voice taking a solemn tone. "My Bruce, he's been missing for two months now. I was trying to find him when I was brought here. The Skrull in our universe have developed a weapon that causes a person to shift out of phase with the rest of the world. If I had to guess, I'd say it's like the space in between one universe and another. You- I mean he was one of the first they used it on. I got into the lab where they kept the mainframe behind the weapon. I figured I'd be able to hack their system and use it to bring back... everyone." The telling pause before she said everyone sent a chill down Bruce's spine. Her determination matched Tony's when he was at his worst. That could be dangerous. For a moment, he wondered if that was the same tone Tony took with the others when defending him.

"Just when I thought I had it figured out, they caught me. I'm not exactly sure what happened, but I guess the weapon overloaded, pushing me more than just out of phase."

Bruce put a hand on her shoulder, reassuring, "I'll do whatever I can to get you home Toni."

She fell into his chest, wrapping her arms around him tight. "You're just- you're so much like him, Bruce. It's hard to see you as someone else."

Although holding her felt perfectly natural, she wasn't his. Following that thought too far left him even more uncomfortable for what it might say about how he viewed _his_ Stark. It took effort, but Bruce pushed aside his discomfort. Before his mind could wander further, he asked, "You two are really close, huh?"

Toni pulled back just slightly, keeping an intimate space between them, and nodded. "You- he is the only one who's ever really got me, you know? From the first time we met, on the Shield helicarrier, I knew we were going to be something great. After reading his file, I figured we'd create something amazing that would win us a Nobel prize or something, but once we met, I knew it went deeper than that. He made me a better woman, more responsible and more approachable. He helps me see things I normally overlook and without him, I wouldn't have been able to keep the Avengers together. We just fit each other.

"It took me a long time to convince him of that though."She laughed softly, in a warm way he rarely saw from Tony. "He was so convinced that he was a monster, too dangerous to keep company with us _fragile_ folk. I got to him though, convinced him to embrace his other side and really strut. He says I showed him how to really live again. Of course, it didn't hurt that Hulk and I shared an understanding of what was best for you- him, even if Bruce didn't see it."

Despite the awkward moments in which Toni corrected herself, Bruce had to laugh at the similarity. "That part isn't too different here either. Tony convinced everyone, myself included, that the Hulk wasn't a monster. If it weren't for him, I would have spent the rest of my life hiding in the furthest corners of the third world possible, or worse. Tony believed in me, all of me, from the very start." He added with a smirk, "It also didn't hurt that we could talk without having to dumb it down."

Toni gave a knowing grin. "So, you and he are pretty close too?"

Bruce shifted uncomfortably; though most wouldn't have noticed the slight change, he suspected that Toni knew him well enough to spot it. "Well," he managed. "Not as close as you and the other me, I suppose."

"Uh huh." The disbelief in her voice was all the evidence he needed.

Before he could counter, however, Tony interrupted. "I brought pizza," he announced, as his presence filled the room in that signature Tony Stark way.

Immediately, Bruce put distance between himself and Toni. "Oh good, I'm starving!"


	5. Chapter 5

So, I'm on vacation, which has made getting updates ready a little bit of a challenge. However, I come home tomorrow and so I should be back to more frequent updates soon. Of course, I also have a business trip next week and my son's 4th birthday party (Avengers themed, I might add!) to put together this weekend that could eat into that as well. Even when updates aren't up, I'm still writing though. I carry a notebook in my purse at all times, so I am always able to write.

I went back a little further than I thought I would for this one, but I really wanted to see what was going on in Tony's head during all of this and with his propensity for sticking his nose in everything, you had to have guessed he was listening in on their conversation, right?

Another little note, I've not actually read much of the Extremis arc in the comics and so when I used the Bleeding Edge armor earlier, that might have been a preemptive move based on a misreading of online info. I haven't specifically decided where this is timewise, so when I figure that out, tiny edits may be made to make it consistent. Or we can chalk the whole thing up to different universe, different rules!

Warnings for Tony internal angst and external Stark mouths

For Science!

* * *

Tony did his best to quickly hide the shock when his female counterpart shoved her tongue in Bruce's mouth. To his relief, Bruce and Toni were too focused on each other to notice. It wasn't like he had a legit claim to Bruce, though he'd certainly entertained the thoughts in the past. Most men weren't as sexually open as himself though and nothing made work more awkward than propositioning an oh too straight man. Still, it rubbed him all wrong watching them.

"Yeah,_ baby_, what's wrong?" Stark teased, letting the jealousy he was trying to deny get the better of him. "I mean, I'm not surprised that all it took was a pair of tits for you to jump my bones, so please, continue. The show was just getting interesting."

Amused at getting her all riled up, Tony found it reassuring when her attention was focused on himself instead of Bruce, even if it was threatening and over protective. He baited and she swung right back. Though, he wondered after the fact if he was so easily baited.

Of course, Bruce had to drag her attention back, always diffusing the time bomb. For someone so convinced of his own instability, Banner sure had a knack for calming those around him.

"Well, at least I make a sexy man. Not that I'm surprised. Just saying." If he needed any convincing, her parroting his own response did the trick and for a brief moment, Tony found himself oddly aroused.

"You sure you're not_ my_ Bruce?"

Her question cued Tony, putting his arm around Bruce with a sly grin. "Like I said, I called dibs on this one."

Toni's reaction was not what he had hoped for, however. She seemed to be analyzing them and it was clear, again, she had Stark's mind. Tony was sure she could see that, for all his talk, Bruce was completely oblivious to his interest. "Like a time bomb," she muttered.

This raised his eyebrow. And what the hell was that supposed to mean? Did she think he was stupid enough to screw things up?

"So, if you're me, you've probably already got two or three ideas on how to send me back home, am I right?"

He met her with a smirk, pushing her comment aside for later. "I'll need Bruce's input before I'm ready to test them, but the theories are there."

"And my suit, have you already gathered my data from it?"

"Jarvis is working on that as we speak."

"And dinner?"

"I have to feed you too?" he asked with a laugh, trying to cover up his discomfort with her. "Next, I guess you'll be wanting a room to sleep in til we get you there? Guess it's a good thing one of us is a billionaire in _this_ universe." He turned to Bruce, letting his arm slide off Banner's shoulders. "You think you can managed to show her the guest rooms, while I go find us food?"

Bruce nodded. "I think we still have a pizza left from last night."

Tony left the room with that smile still plastered on, but as soon as the elevator door slid shut, his face dropped. Who the hell did she think she was? He knew the answer to that. He knew that if things were reversed, he'd probably be behaving just the same. He didn't have to admit that though, not even to himself.

While he might be ashamed of it later, Tony decided that it'd be in everyone's best interest if he kept an eye on Toni and Bruce. Tapping into the security with a thought, Tony could truly see and hear anything going on in the tower. Normally, he didn't abuse this ability but his jealousy was certainly getting the better of him.

Tony pulled the leftover pizza from the fridge and took a quick look in the box before tossing the whole thing in the trash. He pulled up the website for one of his favorite nearby places and placed an order for one of those organic, veggie delight, whole wheat, gluten free, blah-blah-blah pizzas Banner enjoyed so much. I wasn't that Stark was opposed to health food; when he was dying of palladium poisoning, he ate and drank tons of antioxidant super-foods. But Bruce too it to an extreme that made Tony want to dive head first into a greasy meat-lovers pizza, a box of donuts and mixed drinks.

He'd eat it anyway. Tony credited that to a combination of proving Steve wrong about him being out of shape and the realization that some of his old suits were a little too tight for comfort. It was true, he still took any criticism from Rogers much harder than he let on. The level of hero worship his father had instilled in him from his earliest days that led him to thinking Howard cared more about his work in creating Captain America than he did his own son would likely always be an issue. However, a big part of the change in diet was because of Bruce. Not only did it make things easier during those late hours when they had been in the lab for way too long without food, but Tony relished the rare occasions when Banner cooked for them. The doctor had a way of making the healthiest, most natural food taste amazing.

While all this went on, Tony was also working out the parallel universe problem and spying on Bruce and Toni's conversation. It never ceased to impress Tony how much his multitasking improved since the Extremis. He also added a few layers to the scans he ran regularly, monitoring Doctor Banner for signs of the Hulk. Looking deeper, he did not like what he saw.

Although biology wasn't Tony's field of expertise, he could tell sexual tension from Bruce's usual discomfort around those who invaded his personal space. She had really gotten to him. It wasn't enough that she had Bruce in her own universe, she had to win over his as well? The sooner Toni could be sent back, the better.

Tony had three potential solutions fully worked out, ready for Bruce's input, when Jarvis spoke up, "Sir, the pizza has arrived."

Tony nodded. "I'll be down in a second."

While Tony rode the elevator down to retrieve dinner, he listened to Bruce and Toni discussing the other Doctor Banner. For a moment, he entertained the thought of two Bruces working together. What she had to say about the phase shift was pretty much confirmed by his math as well.

"You're just- you're so much like him, Bruce. It's hard to see you as someone else."

"You two are really close, huh?"

That broke him out of the fantasy.

"You- he is the only one who's ever really got me, you know? From the first time we met, on the Shield helicarrier, I knew we were going to be something great. After reading his file, I figured we'd create something amazing that would win us a Nobel prize or something, but once we met, I knew it went deeper than that. He made me a better woman, more responsible and more approachable. He helps me see things I normally overlook and without him, I wouldn't have been able to keep the Avengers together. We just fit each other.

"It took me a long time to convince him of that though. He was so convinced that he was a monster, too dangerous to keep company with us _fragile_ folk. I got to him though, convinced him to embrace his other side and really strut. He says I showed him how to really live again. Of course, it didn't hurt that Hulk and I shared an understanding of what was best for you- him, even if Bruce didn't see it."

These things were all true for Tony as well, but he's never really been brave enough to speak them out loud. Then Bruce laughed, not that "oh that was ridiculous laugh" but that warm, intimate laugh he only shared with those he really trusted. Damn it, could this elevator move any slower?

"That part isn't too different here either. Tony convinced everyone, myself included, that the Hulk wasn't a monster. If it weren't for him, I would have spent the rest of my life hiding in the furthest corners of the third world possible, or worse. Tony believed in me, all of me, from the very start. It also didn't hurt that we could talk without having to dumb it down."

Bruce's words touched Tony and helped ease the panic that Toni was winning him over. "You're the one who made me better," he kept between himself and the empty space of the elevator. That Toni was so emotionally honest had given him pause, but if anyone could make a decent man (or woman in this case) out of Stark, it's be Banner.

Of course, in true Stark fashion, Toni had to ruin his sentimental moment by asking a question that implied too much but also made painfully clear that he and Bruce weren't ever going to be close enough for Tony to admit that. "So, you and he are pretty close too?"

"Well, not as close as you and the other me, I suppose."

"Uh huh."

Saving Bruce from the awkward moment and himself from anymore self inflicted rejection, Tony waltzed into the room. "I brought pizza," he announced, making as much noise as he could.

"Oh good." Bruce looked so relieved. "I'm starving!"

"You better be. I got your favorite." Tony set the pizza on the table and grabbed plates. "And I was stuck finishing the last two."

Toni took one look at the pizza and shot and smug grin at her counterpart. "He's got you eating his new age hippie food too? And he didn't even have to sleep with you to persuade you? Impressive Bruce."

Bruce returned to that delightful shade of red he'd been sporting off and on that night and countered, "I had nothing to do with it. He's just making up for all the empty calories in the booze."

Tony hated her for a moment and in an even shorter moment, realized he must be just as frustrating. Yeah, there was only room for one Stark per universe. Hiding that, he responded, "Got to make cuts somewhere if I'm going to stay in shape." Of course, Banner's defense wasn't entirely true either. His drinking had steadily decreased since Bruce moved in and lately, he hardly drank at all. Bruce never much cared from drinking and refused to himself so it was better if Stark limited himself. Yeah, Bruce was definitely making a decent man out of Tony.

He took a bite while pulling up a holoscreen with some of the work he'd done so far. Showing it to Bruce, he explained, "So I took the numbers you got from Reed and with what we got tonight, I mapped out the variances. Reed designed his device just to glance into the different universes instead of traveling between them, but it looks like it was too high powered to view the closest ones. From what I can tell, you're from the next closest universe."

Tony kept quiet about the phase shift not wanting them to know he'd been listening in. He figured the two of them would put it together just as he did, but the fact, the Skrull being able to control such a short distance as a phase shift was actually pretty impressive. That sort of precision would be hard to maintain.

He lit up one of the lines on the graph. "Here's us and-" He lit up another that nearly touched the first. "If my math is right, and it always is, this is your universe, Miss Stark."

Bruce pointed to the barely existent space between the two lines. "And this is where the Skrull put the other me."


End file.
